Inner freedom is freedom of the mind and spiritual self as well as freedom from the material world. Everyone’s individual definition of inner freedom will differ, as everyone’s reality is different. However, gaining inner freedom is not as easy as you may think. Through a combination of hard work and faithful spiritual practice, you can set yourself on the path of inner freedom.

The first aspect of inner freedom is freedom of the mind. The human mind has a tendency to overthink. We think all day long. We stress over every aspect of our daily lives, from work to relationships and everything in between. The habit of overthinking has been ingrained in us from a very young age. The western world praises overthinking and meticulous work habits. They praise working long hours, with little to no time off. These instilled habits take a huge toll on mental and spiritual health. A weak mind is unable to move towards the state of enlightenment that is needed to gain inner freedom. An important aspect of spirituality is taking the time to reflect on the steps you need to take in your life to encourage change. There are many ways of reflection and you must find the way that best works for you. Try meditation or yoga as tools to clear your mind and separate it from the limitations that currently weigh it down. You turn off the lights when you leave a room, as they are no longer necessary. Why not do the same with your mind? Turn off the thoughts that hinder you beyond the situation they arose in.

The second aspect of inner freedom is freedom of your spiritual self. Complete self-acceptance is the only way to attain spiritual maturity and in turn enlightenment. You must first realize your true self has been inside you all along. Take a moment to reflect on where you are on your life path and where you must go to attain spiritual freedom. An important part of attaining inner freedom is taking responsibility for everything that you’ve done and that has happened to you. Keep in mind that responsibility is not necessarily blame. Even if something wasn’t your fault, you must take responsibility in how you move forward and use your power to shape it into something positive and something that furthers the development of your spiritual self.

The final aspect of inner freedom is freedom from the material world. The material world is very detrimental to spiritual health. The idea that a physical object will result in your happiness is truly comical when you think about it. The only real way to be happy is to achieve inner freedom. Remove yourself from the limitations the material world has and create your own reality. You must distance yourself from the ignorance and arrogance the material world contains and move towards the path of spiritual enlightenment, even if you must do it alone. In fact, we are always alone. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing, even though the material world discourages being alone, and often labels people who prefer the comfort of their own self as “weird” or “outsiders”. Free yourself from the labels and open yourself to the concept of life outside of the world we know, also known as enlightenment.​

Enlightenment itself is the state of discovering the absolute truth, free from the limitations our world imposes. Freedom from the material world as well as freedom of your mind and spiritual self will allow you to move toward the path of enlightenment. By discovering truth, you will open up your entire being. Through enlightenment you will gain true inner freedom.